Means for mounting eyes in stuffed toys



July 23, 1957 H. BRUDNEY MEANS FOR MOUNTING EYES IN STUFFED TOYS FiledFeb.' 8, 1954 F/G., z.

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United States Patent MEANS FOR MOUN EYES IN STUFFED Harry Brudney, NewYork, N. Y.

Application February 8, 1954, Serial No. 408,787 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-165)The invention relates to dolls eyes and more particularly to eyes formounting in stuffed toys.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple construction ofmeans for holding eyes in stuffed toys.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a structure forsecuring eyes in stuffed toys or dolls having a fairly thin facematerial.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide such structuresas may be cheaply manufactured and readily applied with a simple tool.

Other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from thedescription hereinafter given.

In the present invention, the outer shell of the eye assembly ismodified to the extent of stamping protuberances which extend slightlytherefrom to coact with an additional shell, or other gripping means, insuch a manner that the material of the doll face is clamped between thetwo shells. In one form of my invention I use a split resilient wirering instead of a second shell, this particular form being suitablewhere the doll face is of thin material such as plastic, Celluloid, etc.

A detailed description of my invention will now be given in conjunctionwith the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a section through an eye mount taken longitudinally andshowing a doll eye secured to the fabric of a stufied toy;

Fig. 2 is an exterior view showing the doll eye mounted on the materialof a stuffed toy, a portion of the material being removed to betterillustrate the construction;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fabric in which the doll eye is to bemounted, showing an aperture and radiating slits, formed therein priorto insertion of the eye mounting structure;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a tool for applying an eye to theface material of a stuffed toy in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of my invention in longitudinal crosssection wherein the mount is applied to a doll face of thin materialsuch as plastic or Celluloid, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a locking ring as used in the assembly of theform shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, myinvention comprises a conventional doll eye assembly 10 of the generaltype now popular and having an eye portion and related parts, includingan outer cylindrical shell 12. The outer shell is provided with two ormore dimples or protuberances, such as 16, which protrude outwardly asshown. An additional cylindrical shell 20 is provided having apertures22 registerable with respective dimples 16. The textile material of theface 26 is folded inwardly so as to be clamped between the two shells,wherein a portion of the inwardly folded material is securely wedged asshown at 28 between the interlocking dimples and apertures. Thus, thematerial is deformed to follow the contour of the dimples and isforcibly pressed into the corresponding apertures whereby a securegripping and locking effect is achieved.

In order to assure accurate disposition of the assembly on the facefabric and also to further augment the grip ping thereof, the shell 12is provided with a flange 32 while the shell 20 is provided witha'fiange 34. Thus, as shown on Fig. 1, the marginal area of the fabricsurrounding the eye is pressed securely between the two flanges.

In order to facilitate assembly of the structure the shell 12 isprovided with an aperture 38Whi1e the shell 20 is provided with anaperture 40. Further, the fabric 26, as shown in Fig. 3, is initiallyprovided with an aperture 42 from which aperture radiate slits such as46. While three such slits are shown, it will be understood that more orless may be used as circumstances require.

Referring now to Fig. 4 a tool is disclosed for assembling the eyestructure 10 to the fabric 26.

This tool comprises essentially a ram element 59, a collar 52, and a bed58. The bed 58 has a socket 60 provided therein to receive shell 20.Socket 60 connects with a bore 62 in which is slidably carried a plunger66 upwardly biased by a spring 68 wherein the spring member is retainedby a cap 70. The diameter of the plunger 66 is such as to fit smoothlythrough the bore 40 in shell 20, and surmonnting the plunger is a button74 which fits smoothly within the bore 38 of shell 12. Springs such as76 are utilized for maintaining ram 50 in proper position prior to adownward stroke.

In operation of the tool, the ram 50 and collar 52 are first removedsufficiently from bed 58 so as to center eye aperture 42 of the fabric26 around the uppermost portion of plunger 66, the shell 26 having beenpreviously placed in the socket 60. Shell 12 may then be placed inposition so that button 74 centers it with respect to shell 20 by virtueof engagement with aperture 38, it being understood that the eyestructure 10 is at that time integral with shell 12. The ram 5% may thenbe brought down to bear against flange 32, thus forcing the eyestructure into shell 20 and simultaneously folding the fabric portionsbetween slits 46 into clinching engagement intermediate shells 12 and20.

It will be understood that suitable aligning structure (not shown) willbe utilized so that the shells will be properly oriented to insureregistry of dimples 16 with apertures 22. Further, the lowermost rim 80of recess 82 of ram 50 may be suitably magnetized so as to hold flange32 of shell 12 to facilitate convenient handling of the ram, collar, andeye structure in placing it in position over bed 58.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, a simplified mode ofassembly to a plastic or Celluloid face is illustrated wherein the shellof the eye structure 92 is provided with dimples 94 spaced from outerflange 96, the spacing depending upon the thickness of the material 96and that of a resilient split ring 98 which wedges between the undersurface of the face material and the dimples 94. The ring 98 may bereadily snapped into place, either with the fingers or with a simpletool which thrusts the ring past the dimples and may be made of anysuitable material such as metal or plastic.

While this latter form of the invention is contemplated for use withdoll faces of semi-rigid material, it will be understood that it is notrestricted thereto but could, in fact, be utilized where the doll faceis of rigid material or even of very limp material such as fabric. Inthe latter case, the spacing between the dimples and flange 96 would beclose enough to effect substantial compression of the fabric by the ringso as to provide secure gripping engagement.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that many modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, I donot wish to be limited to the precise illustration herein given exceptas set forth in the appended 'claims.

I claim: I 1. In an eye mount for a stufied toy doll head, a doll faceof pliable material and havinga n aperture,'a dolls feye having atubular eye shell Within said aperture, said shell having a radialflange engaging the exterior margin doll face and having a radial flangeengaging the inner margin of said aperture, the material of said facebeing folded inwardly at said aperture so as to bev frictionally 'Ofsaid aperture,-a tubular retaining shell'surrounding j said eye shelland disposed on the interior side of said 2. In a mount as set forth inclaim 1, one of said shells having a radial dimple, the other of saidshells having a registering aperture, a portion of the material betweensaid shells being wedged by said dimple into said aperture.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,205,046 Snyder Nov. 14, 1 916 1,933,633 Luce Nov. 7, 1933 2,373,963Kallus Apr. 17, 1945 2,548,004 Duefiene Apr. 10, 1951 V FOREIGN PATENTSr 634,614 Great Britain Mar. 22,

